Ventilated shoe



Patented Aug. 20, 1940 PATENT OFFICE VENTILATED SHOE John W. Meaker,Evanston, 111.

No Drawing. Application January 25, 1940,.

. Serial No. 315,526

3 Claims.

This invention relates to leather shoes, boots or other similarfootwear, which will be collectively referred to herein as shoes; andthe primary object of the invention is to provide a shoe with arelatively large number of widely distributed, minute, artificiallyformed perforations which, while permitting free passage of air into andout of the shoe under conditions of wear, are small enough tosubstantially exclude water, which are, preferably, invisible orsubstantially so, and which do not substantially impair the strength ofthe leather.

The degree of ventilation may be varied by varying the size of theperforations which may be as small as 1 inch in diameter or evensmaller; or by varying the number of perforations per unit area which,merely as examples, may vary from 10 or 20 to 100 or more in number persquare inch.

20 The perforations may be made by causing electrio arcs to pierce theleather at suitable inter vals, and any suitable machinery may be usedfor the purpose. For example, the leather may be run between rollersprovided with electrodes forming spark gaps through which the leathertofore for ventilating shoes but all have disadvantages. Air has beenlet into the shoes through ducts arranged in various places. Rubbercushions have been put into the soles which by compression and expansionpump air into the interior of the shoes. It has been common also topunch holes in the uppers. These holes are frequently aboutone-sixteenth of an inch in diameter. They destroy the waterproofcharacter of the leather. They are more or less unsightly. They passesas disclosed for example in U. S. Patent detract from the warmth of theshoe in winter and from the strength of the leather. Ordinary polishescannot be used without entering the holes and soiling the hosiery andthe feet.

In carrying out the present invention, the hides 5 may be perforated bythe electric arcs; or the shoe parts for example the parts constitutingthe upper after being cut; or, less conveniently, the shoes after theyhave been manufactured or during manufacture at any stage.

The electric arc formed perforations will not admit water. Nor will theyadmit the ordinary polishes. These when applied cover the perforations,but as the shoes are worn and-flexed with walking, the perforations openup and fulfill their 15 ventilating function.

The cost of the perforation operation is very slight. The strength ofthe leather is not substantially impaired. The perforations are notvisible except possibly on close inspection and then are notrecognizable as perforations. Generally speaking, the ventilation iseffected without materially changing the appearance of the shoes.

I claim:

1. A shoe the upper of which is composed of leather formed with aplurality of minute, burned, burrless perforations which, whilepermitting the free passage of air in and out of the shoe while the shoeis being worn, are small enough to exclude water, whereby the shoethough ventilated so is' substantially waterproof.

2. A leather shoe provided with a plurality of widely distributed,minute,- electric arc burned, burrless perforations which, whilepermitting free passage of air into and out of the shoe under conditionsof wear, are small enough to substantially exclude water, whereby theshoe is ventilated without substantial impairment of its water proofcharacter.

3. A leather shoe provided with a plurality of widely distributed,minute, electric are burned,

burrless perforations which, while permitting free passage of-air intoand out of the shoe under conditions of wear, are small enough to besubstantially invisible. and to substantially exclude water, whereby theshoe is ventilated without appreciable change in appearance orsubstantial impairment of its water proof character.

. JOHN W. MEAKER.

